Public Health
What Can I Do With My Major?
Overview
The Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health is designed to prepare students to work in diverse public health settings and/or to matriculate into graduate programs for health sciences or public health. Our students are trained to help individuals improve their lifestyles or groups through behavior change, as well as understand how to intervene at a population level through community-building and coalition building, environmental and systems change, and to advocate for health in all public policies.
Certifications
- Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing Inc.,
- Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist certification from the American College of Sports Medicine
- National Physical Activity Society, and Health Coaching (offered through numerous organizations).
Related Employers and Career Titles
Biostatistician*
Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
Environmental Health Specialist
Epidemiologist*
Health Director/Administrator
Health Educator
Health Risk Evaluator
Hospital Administrator*
Infection Control Practitioner
Policy Analyst
Program Coordinator/Manager
Program Evaluator
Public Health Nurse or Physician*
Public Health Nutritionist*
Public Health Social Worker*
*additional experience, certifications or advanced degree may be required
Related Major Skills
Critical thinking and creativity
Independent and efficient personal work ethic
Understanding of community and organizational dynamics
Networking, teamwork and leadership
Communicate with diverse audiences
Communicate through a variety of media
Professional writing including reports and proposals
Locate, use, evaluate, and synthesize information
Collaborate with organizations and agencies
Development of educational materials
Develop and evaluate programs
Development of public health policy
Internship Hosts of AppState Students
Adult Life Programs
Alexander County
American Red Cross
Appalachian District Health Department
Appalachian State University Wellness and Prevention Services
AppHealthCare
Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
Ashe Community Paramedic Program
Atrium Health
Behavior Management Systems
BestHealth For Us
Brazos County
Brenner FIT
Burke County
Cape Fear Discount Drugs
Carteret County
Catawba Valley Health System
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Charles George VA Medical Center
Children's Hope Alliance
Cleveland County Health Department
Craven County
CTS Health , INC.
Curamericas
Duke University
Durham VA Medical Center
Emory University
FirstHealth Community Health Services
Gaston County
Gillespie Dental Associates
Girls on the Run
Graham County
Healthstat Inc.
Heartbeats Women's Center
Helpmate
High Country Area Agency on Aging
High Country Doulas
High Point University
Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition
Hunger and Health Coalition
Iredell County
Iredell County Health Department
Irish Osteoporosis Society
Lifestyle Medical Center
Lincoln County Schools
Lincoln County Schools
Main Street Market and Meeting Place
Maria Kennedy RD LLC
Maya Angelou Center of Health Equity
McDowell County
Nurse Care of North Carolina LLC
Pennsylvania State Government
Rex Wellness Center
Rosendin Electric
Rowan County
Sawyerville Day Camp
Second Harvest Food Bank
Surry County
Tahoe City Public Utility District
Texas State Government
The Health Foundation Inc.
The YMCA
UNC Health Appalachian
Union County
Virginia Department of Health
W.A.M.Y. Community Action Inc.
Wake County
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Wake Forest University
Watauga County
Western Youth Network
Wilkes Community College
Wilkes Community Health Care Center
Wilkes County
Women’s Health Group PA
Wilkes County Health Department
Employers of AppState Grads
American Red Cross
BAYADA Home Health Care
Blue Cross Blue Shield NC
Caldwell County Health Department
Carolinas Healthcare system
Cleveland County Health Department
Council on International Educational Exchange
Daymark Recovery Services
Frontier Health Foundation
Greensboro Health Department
Hospitality House of Boone
Interactive Health
Mission Health
NC Department Of Health And Human Services
Novant Health
Preferred Medical Marketing Corporation
Public Works - City Of Hickory
Samaritan’s Purse
UNC Health Appalachian
UNC Rex Healthcare
Wake Forest Baptist Health
Wilkes Community College
YMCA Greater of Charlotte
YWCA Of Asheville
Preparing for Your Career
•Develop excellent interpersonal skills to work with diverse populations
•Look for internships and jobs in to gain knowledge and experience
•Participation in internships and summer jobs in a relevant setting
How can I know if a Public Health degree is right for me?
•Complete a self-assessment inventory at the Career Exploration Office in the Student Union to see how your interests, values, and personality match this major and related career fields.
•Schedule an appointment with a career counselor on careers.appstate.edu/Handshake
•Obtain direct experience by doing a job shadow
•Conduct an informational interview with a professional in the field
For more information on careers & job outlook: onetonline.org